Gender within Pop Culture and the Media - Essay Example

Gender within Pop Culture and the Media Sur s Nowadays media play a crucial role in formation of public opinion on important social issues. Media form and fix the public consciousness about the norms of gender behavior, producing gender-stereotyped images of women and men who appear in the pages of publications, television and radio space. That is why it turns to be a significant problem that images of women which are created and broadcast by media, often full of gender bias and is sexist. Complete freedom of speech and press, the full independence of communication institutions turns to be an illusion. Analyzing the communicative institutions in the United States, may be paid attention on the conflict between the role of the media as the social institution and its functioning as an economic enterprise with own profit objectives. Thus, the production and distribution of products of mass media is funded by big business. It means that the media policy is formed not by intentions, but by the possible profit for media owners. The abovementioned fact is one of the reasons why the notion of minorities in mass media is quite specifically objective. While in economic life are involved members with different social roles (workers, consumers, investors and entrepreneurs), economic news focus primarily on the actions and interests of the latter two categories, although they are an absolute minority among the members of society. It means that while constructing an image of reality, the media portray a society devoid of social diversity, focusing primarily on the actions and deeds of political, financial and cultural elites (represented mainly by men). Consequently, uneven presentation of socio-sexual groups in mass media reflects the gender stratification of society and how are unequally distributed economic, political and cultural resources among the two gender groups. Summarizing may be said that the mass media symbolically recreate society formed in the hierarchy of gender inequality. Symbolically reproducing the social space, deciding whom to give the word, and who has no right on representing of personal opinion, selecting events and ranking them by importance to society, mass media offer samples, models for identity in various spheres of life, becoming a factor of cultural and psychological changes, gaining significant opportunities to influence the minds of its audience. Our reality is a product created through the mediation of the media. However, it exists not only in mass-media environment, but in the minds of consumers of their products, creating tastes and patterns of behavior (and gender behavior as well), and formatting the social space. Large audience impact and effectiveness of audiovisual images allow the media to create the phenomenon of the power of speech, thus imposing a particular vision of the world. In a society with unstable social relationships, low level of maturity of social groups and uncertain nature of social change potential mass-media and pop materials have the crucial role in the construction of social reality image. In addition, mass media are among the most important and effective means of formation and legitimation of social events. In these conditions media, as well as the pop culture, become the field of symbolic production, the arena for struggle of various social, political, socio-economic groups for access to a mass audience in order to disseminate and implementat their ideas about social improvement. In this sense, the social value of mass-media materials is that they create conditions for symbolic struggle for legitimacy perceptions of social reality. Reasons why the problem of gender so is so rare highlighted in the mass media is that it contrasts with those of a political elite (represented primarily by men). Constant presence in the symbolic space of traditionalist approaches to gender issues, as well as the frequency of presentation the information, creates and perpetuates the notion of "naturalness" of this kind of tender "partnership" (Gill, 2009). Stereotypical coverage of the situations is caused by the fact that society and culture to some extent is interested in such structuring, since any act of cognition begins with mastering the conventional, common, ordinary, existing in society as the norm. And the system of social institutions is always interested in maintaining the social consensus, and therefore promotes and forwards broadcast prevailing on social psychology and consciousness stereotypes (Fuller, 2008). Gender stratification as one of the basic divisions of society and the foundation of its social organization, is part of the consensus. Therefore, gender-stereotypical coverage of social roles and images of women and men is one of the main characteristics of the media and pop-culture. Cases of direct gender-based violence, demonstrated on TV, complemented by a network pattern of "male" and "female" develop the media reality (Milestone & Meyer, 2012). Various representations of feminine and masculine require analysis of media strategies through which the patriarchal is formed and maintained. Public space, which was traditionally male, historically perceived women as deviation. Private space instead has been marked as a predominantly female. As a result, stereotypical description of women and men in the mass media is quite powerful: it contains a double standard assessment of the contribution of social rights, depending on gender, a different evaluation of the same performance motivation of men and women and so on. Such stereotypes, and thus the description of women and men is applied unconsciously, even when it is not defined by a specific media policy. Mass media in these cases is seen as an instrument of social control, as they introduce legitimate social values, norms and gender samples of the desired behavior. Mass media declares ideological neutrality, objectivity and impartiality as the main principle not only of own activities, but of existence as a social institution. Media appeal to a "conventional" range of views and values that underpin society and its functioning. This public "consent" exists for appeal towards hierarchically constructed social order with its distinct gender asymmetry (Made, 2008). Mass media exist due to the demands and expectations public - real or imaginary. To meet these expectations, they obviously have to work according to the rules "give what the audience wants" and express something that primarily focuses attention and turns to them most. However, the audience varies by social, demographic and ethnic characteristics; represent various categories which exist in different social worlds and different realities. Thus media are trying to broadcast the defined list of problems recognized as a common, socially important. It means that they can neglect the specific type of audience information needs related to its socio-sexual, ethnic, socio-demographic, educational and other characteristics. Gender differences cause definitions of human life, life values for each of the group are not the same, and their roles differ both in the household and access to jobs, participation in politics and possibilities of economic activity. Different experiences and values which people have are determined by their sexual affiliation. Thus different gender groups (as well as people belonging to different subcultures existing in the social space) perceive media message differently (Sedgwick, 2014). Still, mass media not only change the way of thinking and perceiving the world. Consumers are specifically involved in creating media products and media reality, by "mosaic" of perception and personal involvement. For example, the consumer is deeply immersed in the communicative process rather than consumption of print or audio media. Mosaic of information supplied through TV requires a broader engagement and greater viewers’ attention. The viewer is constantly forced to "gather together" own minds in a picture. Television gives also the possibility to wander through the channels, and it makes media even more suitable for clearer user intervention. Television, radio and newspapers as a means of communication does not correspond to the classical formula of communicative act: they do not care whether their message will get at least one recipient. They not only dont need to be answered, but make the answer be impossible. Instead, for the implementation of network communication need of answers is fundamental because computer-based media allow us to state the referral message only when it will get its recipient. In this sense, a computer network can be rightfully called the means of communication that is completely defined by their technology. Thus traditional media lost monopoly on broadcasting. Generally, now mass media simply did require the participation of the viewer in the communicative process, no longer allowing him to abstract "look." These processes of inherently interactive communication led to a rethinking of the concept of media as a means of mass communication. Investigation of gender aspects of media is important for changing attitude to gender in society. Thus these investigations are affecting virtually every aspect of the relationship of media and culture. One of the most prominent aspects of the study of gender in communication theory is how gender is constructed by using the media. There are significant gender differences, especially in terms of how to use media. Different types of media content, as well as their production and use, are studied in relation to the nature of the expression of gender identity and differences in the "read" meaning and satisfaction, obtained from media products. Gender investigations for sure cause changes in the content of media messages and the possibility of their transformation towards gender partnership. Their main goal is to address the question whether the choice and interpretation of media lead to any changes, becoming part of the resistance of women in social situations inequality. To sum up I must admit that media have a direct and even not so veiled power over the thinking process of mankind. Now that information is recognized as one of the most valuable factors in our lives, thus those who own the means of distribution are the most influential people. And they decide what and in what form to bring to our attention and what is not worth mentioning and may stay outside. In this context the term "freedom of speech" is not just wrong, but simply ridiculous. Media gained power over people without obstacles and doubts. They created a solid system of stereotypes and images in the conscious of people who are simply not allowed to think in a different way. Furthermore, images that give us the media cause the feeling of inferiority, which then flows into the problems in the life of every individual. And the gender aspect is not the exception. Media has created in the minds of society the images of the ideal man and woman, placed them in a certain niches of society. These images speak to us on television, smile from the covers of magazines. And any new free from these stereotypes establishment has no chance for development, as it won’t be recognized by the media. In fact, the independent transmitter of information, how it should be turned into a media of expression structure of the world and society of their owners. Any event or display image becomes more important with increasing the amount of information provided on it. Thus, the scale of values is not created by man directly. Thus, taking for granted everything we see through the media, we lose ourselves as a unique person, forget own heritage and unique features. We try to be as "all" because we were told that otherwise is impossible. And thus give more power over us to those who try to manipulate with our lives. References Gill, R. (2009) Gender and the Media. Sociology, 43(1), 196-197. http://www.jstor.org/stable/42857243 Fuller, L.K. (2008) Sport, Rhetoric, and Gender: Historical Perspectives and Media Representations. Rhetoric Review, 27(2), 206-210. http://www.jstor.org/stable/20176844 Made, P.A. (2008) Globalisation and Gender Training for the Media: Challenges and Lessons Learned. Gender and Development, 8(1), 29-34. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4030304 Milestone, K. & Meyer, A. (2012). Gender and Popular Culture. Cambridge: Polity Press. http://www.google.com.ua/books?id=COlWXCzvaUQC&lpg=PP2&ots=jyC_A3ptQS&dq=gender%20and%20pop%20culture&lr&hl=uk&pg=PP5#v=onepage&q=gender%20and%20pop%20culture&f=false Sedgwick, C. (2014) Gender and Popular Culture. Feminist Media Studies, 14(2), 349-351. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2014.887820 Read More